I lifted my chin, daring him to do worse. His gaze was wild with unchecked rage, and for a moment, I thought he might strike me again. Instead, he turned to his Beta, Mason, who stood silently by the door, watching the scene unfold.
"Lock her in the basement," Luther ordered. "She can rot there until she learns to respect her sister."
My heart stilled. "You wouldn’t."
Luther leaned in, his voice a whisper of ice. "Try me."
Mason hesitated for only a second before grabbing my arm, his grip firm. I didn’t fight as he dragged me away. It was no use. The moment Luther made up his mind, there was no changing it.
The Skyler pack basement was nothing more than a forgotten pit of darkness, damp and reeking of mildew. The heavy metal door creaked as Mason shoved me inside, the sound echoing through the stone walls before it slammed shut behind me.
The darkness swallowed me whole.
I slammed my fists against the door. "Luther! Get me out of here!"
Nothing. Just silence.
I slid down against the wall, wrapping my arms around my legs as the chill seeped into my bones. Hours passed, maybe more. The hunger gnawed at my stomach, my limbs trembling from the cold. I closed my eyes, exhaustion pulling at me, my mind drifting somewhere between sleep and despair.
This was how I would die. The lock clicked.
My head snapped up as the heavy door creaked open, golden light spilling into the basement. I blinked against the sudden brightness, my breath catching as a shadowed figure stepped inside.
For a brief, foolish moment, I thought it was Luther. But then he spoke.
"Cheryl," the deep voice was unfamiliar, yet strangely warm.
Vander Skyler. Luther’s stepbrother.
He knelt beside me, his face barely visible in the dim light. "You’re freezing.”
My body trembled, too weak to move. Vander didn’t wait for an answer. He slipped his arms around me, lifting me with ease. I wanted to protest, to demand why he was helping me, but the warmth of his body against mine lulled me into a hazy silence.
"Stay awake," he murmured as he carried me outside. "You’re not dying today."
The fresh air hit me like a slap, burning my skin. My head lolled against his shoulder as my vision blurred again.
"Why?" I managed to whisper. "Why are you helping me?"
Vander’s jaw tightened. "Because you don’t deserve this."
Everything else faded as unconsciousness claimed me.